IHS Summer Seminars

College. The Way It Should Be.

Note: Summer Seminar applications have closed for 2016. Contact seminars@TheIHS.org to learn more about Summer Seminars in 2017.

IHS Summer Seminars will engage your mind and inspire you like no other college experience. Sessions will cover history, economics, philosophy, and other disciplines from a libertarian perspective, offering new insights and inspiration for tackling many societal issues. You’ll discuss and debate ideas with enthusiastic faculty and students from around the world throughout the day and enjoy socials late into the night.

Over the course of the seminar, you’ll build critical thinking skills, gain access to a great interdisciplinary network, and discover potential career possibilities, all while learning about the ideas that helped bring about global prosperity, greater human equality before the law, religious tolerance and freedom, women’s suffrage, and more.

Dates & Locations

Check back in January 2017.

Cost & Accommodations

Participants stay in campus housing during the seminar, and rooms are same-gender double occupancy. Meals are served in the campus cafeteria and have standard options for special dietary needs.

IHS will cover seminar tuition, housing, meals, and books.

Participants are responsible for travel costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of student are you looking for to attend an IHS Summer Seminar?

Summer Seminars are open to undergraduate students, recent graduates, and graduate students from academic institutions anywhere in the world. All are welcome to apply. Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens, nor are they required to have studied in the U.S.

Strong applicants are individuals seeking to increase their knowledge of classical liberal ideas and who possess critical thinking skills which are essential to a rigorous discussion of these ideas.

Please note that IHS cannot assist international students with visa applications. Those applicants will need to contact the appropriate U.S. embassy in order to complete that process. IHS can, however, provide an accepted student with a signed letter of acceptance to help in the visa application process. Therefore, if you would like to receive an acceptance letter, please notify us IMMEDIATELY after you have been accepted to our program. The earlier you begin the visa application process, the better.

How do I apply?

Applications will open in February 2017. You will not have to create or log into an account with IHS.org, but will instead simply start to fill out the application. You may save your application at any time and return to it later.

How much will it cost to attend the seminar?

Our seminars are provided at no charge to participants. IHS provides lodging, food, books, materials, and lectures. We ask only for your time and thoughtful participation. However, participants will be responsible for covering the costs for travel to and from the seminar location.

This opportunity, worth the equivalent of $1,000 in tuition and room & board, is made possible through the generous contributions of individual donors, corporations, and foundations. IHS is a non-profit educational organization.

Where are the seminars being held this year?

IHS seminars take place on university campuses. Participants stay in university housing and dine in the campus cafeteria.

If I can’t finish my application in one session, can I come back later to complete it?

Yes. You can save your progress and return to it later.

If I had an application selected last year do I need to submit a new one?

All applicants need to submit a new application to be considered for a 2017 Summer Seminar, even if an application had been selected in a previous year.

How do I confirm that you received my application?

Applicants submitting a completed seminar application will receive a confirmation email. If you did not receive a notification after submitting your completed application, please contact us, by emailing seminars@TheIHS.org, because we may not have received it.

How are applications reviewed?

As you might suspect, the applicant pool is highly competitive. In reviewing applications, we carefully evaluate academic ability, career interests, demonstrated interest in the subjects of the seminars, and any specific requirements for particular seminars. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide information on individual applications.

Will accepting a seminar invitation disqualify me from other IHS programs?

No. If you are selected to attend an IHS Summer Seminar, you are welcome to accept even if you have submitted other applications. If you are selected to attend another IHS program that conflicts with the IHS Summer Seminar, you are free to change your seminar RSVP.

If you could not find the answers to your questions in our FAQs, please let us know at seminars@TheIHS.org.